Photographic camera for multiphotography



Aug. 2, 1938. J. P. HANSEN PHQTOGRAPHIC CAMERA" FOR MULTIPHOTOG'RAPHY Filed Dec. 21, 1934 Fig.i.

Patented Aug. 2, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PHOTOGRAPHIC CAMERA FOR PHOTOGRAPHY MULTI- Jens Peter Hansen, Copenhagen, Denmark Application December 21, 1934, Serial No. 758,674

In Denmark December 23, 1933 3 Claims.

. a picture field .hat is limited in correspondence with the desired picture size, while 'a Kincshutter or similar shutter-shuts oil the light during the movement of the plate and exposes that part of the plate, which is in, front of the picture field at the time, where the plate is stationary. When any known apparatus is to be focussed, a ground glass is inserted in place of the carrier for the sensitized material after this has been removed. The result is, that between the focussing and the exposing a rather long time elapses, and it is furthermore a very great inconvenience and causes waste of time that it is impossible to focus upon ground glass. unless the dark slide is previously removed, especially, as it is always necessary to insert a slide in .the sensitized material carrier before removing it. In' practice this means that focussing upon ground glass only can be made; before the first taking and not during the subsequent takings and the sharpness and the definition of the picture as well as the composition thereof is then impossible to control during the takings; so that the first made focussing cannot be altered. The consequence will be that the model can only make such slight movements, which do not call for changes of the focussing, and the aim, intended by mum-photography, which is to take as many pictures with as many different positions of the model as possible in the shortest available time, will then not be obtained. This drawback makes itself especially noted-"by moving objects, where quick exposures are necessary for the taking of naturalpictures, for instance of children.

A further drawback of the known multiphotography apparatuses consists therein, that the step-wise movement of the plate is always constant and unchangeable, so that the numbers of pictures and thus the picture size cannot be varied, for which reason there is usuallyselected a large number of pictures, and accordingly the very small negatives cannot be retouched and are unsuitable for enlargment.

In the photographic camera according to the present'invention these drawbacks are eliminated, as the camera is quick and simple in operation, because-it is provided with ground glasses that are attached at each side of the sensitized material, so that the ground glasses alternately with the sensitized material can occupy the place in front of the picture field, in order that focussing may be carried out without removing the sensitized material. carrier from the apparatus. In this way focussing on ground glass or controlling of the focussed picture with regard to sharpness and definition, composition, size of head, etc., can be carried out at least for each picture row, so that ,various positions and different head sizes of the same person can be produced on the sensitized material, or even picturesof different persons, or ofthe same person in different dresses and garments, as well as whole-figure pictures etc. Furthermore, the first picture in each row can be focussed until shortly before the moment of exposure, which I is of greatest importance in portrait work, where it is desirable to catch the right facial expressions.

Another important feature of the camera according to the inventiomis that it is possible to vary the number of pictures and the sizes of the pictures within the widest possible limits, and' furthermore that on the same plate large v and small pictures can be taken in any desired sequence, and finally, that all this can be done without removing the sensitized material carrier from the apparatus. Another advantage is that the masking arrangement for limiting the picture field to determine the size of the picture can be altered not alone without removing the sensitized material carrier from the camera, but also when the slide of the carrier is extracted and irrespectively of the position of the carrier in the apparatus. This special feature is essential in a. camera, which has to combine the quickest possible manner. of working with the ability to yield pictures of the highest artistic quality.

A camera according to the invention is shown in the accompanying drawing, where Fig. 1 shows the camera seen from the rear, Fig. 2 a. section on line 11-11 in Fig. 1, 221g. 3 the adjustable masking arrangement, an 1 Fig. 4 a. section on line H in Fig. 1. l The lens, shutter and bellows of the apparatus may be of any suitable conventional construetion.

picture is taken must be fixed in their proper position within the picture held by means of interchangable operating devices which according to the invention comprise a bar with depressions and attached to the movable parts of the mechanism, and coacting herewith projections on the rigid parts of the mechanism. One manner of construction of these parts is described in the following with reference to the drawing.

The camera has a work plate I provided with a lens aperture 2 over which there may be arranged different masks for altering the size of the picture. A suitable arrangement of this I is slidable in a recess F formed in the work plate I.

The work plate I carries a guide bar I2, which in cross section is U-shaped. A holder II, described below and carrying a sensitized material carrier I3 is inserted within a frame ll, which is open at the top end to allow the insertion of the holder It, and on the rear side the frame I4 carries a bar II of T section that. is slidable in the guide bar I2 in such a manner that the frame It with the sensitized material carrier holder I and the carrier Il may be displaced horizontalb.

In order to provide a light-tight fitting between the work plate I and the frame It there is arranged on both-vertical sides of the frame II rails of L-section which are held yieldingly pressed against the work plate I.

The sensitized material carrier holder II is formed as a frame to which a back plate II provided with a spring clasp II, Fig. 1, is rigidly attached. The spring clasp II serves three purposes. By engaging the upper edge of the sensitimed material carrier I2 inserted within the holder I, the carrier is held against extraction in the holder. By ensu n a cross rod II on the rear side of the sensitised material carrier holder I. the spring clasp holds the back plate il in its proper position in relation to the carrier and holder, and finally by means of a catch I! on the clasp the holder It, the carrier I3, and the back plate l1 may be raised as a unit.

Between the T-shaped bar II and the guide bar I2 there are arranged leaf springs 2|, Fig. 2, that press the frame I 4 light-tight against the work plate I, and between the holder It and the .edges of the back plate II, Fig. 4, other leaf springs 2| are interposed serving partly to press the back plate I! against the frame II, and partly to press the holder I! light-tight against the work plate I. On the front side of the back plate I1 there are arranged other leaf springs 22, Fig. 2, that press the sensitized material carrier II firmly against the work plate I. These springs thus effectuate partly a light-tight pressure of the carrier and partly allow a smooth and yielding sliding operation of the slidable members. 7 g

The horizontal sliding movement of the frame It is brought about by means of a rack 24 that is attached across the frame It and moves to gether with it, and a toothed wheel 25 that is ritidly attached to a shaft 21 journalled in a Plate 22 screwed to the cross bar I2 and depending outside the rack 24. The toothed wheel 2| is so disposed in relation to the rack 24 thata,12s,sco

the teeth of both members mesh, and by means of a hand wheel 28 fixed to the end of the shaft 21 projecting outside the plate 28, the toothed .wheel 25 may be rotated for the lateral displacement of the frame It.

To ensure the proper position of the separate pictures on the plate the guide bar I2 is provided with a spring member 32, Fig. 1, that has a pro- Jection 32 which, when the frame I4 with the sensitized plate is in position, enters notches 34 in a bar 23 attached interchangeably to the upper edge of the rack 24; The number of notches 34 in the bar 23 determines the number of pictures in a horizontal row, and by exchanging the bar with another having a different, number of notches, it is possible to alter the number of pietures in a horizontal row. The nuxnber and the width of the pictures produced in a horizontal row is determined practically by the width of the plate itself and the number and relative position of the notches 34, and there is accordingly nothing to prevent taking pictures of different widths in the same row, if only the picture field determined by the lens is sufficiently large'to cover the greatest width. The mask over the lens aperture 2 must be changed in accordance with the desired width of the picture.

The construction of the means for automatically displacing the plate in vertical direction are shown in Fig. 1. Here the one frame side of the sensitized material carrier holder I5 is extended upwards and on its upper end provided with a guide roll pin 42 engaging depressions in a guide plate I attached to the rear side of the work plate I. The depressions 43 are formed as a number of relatively parallel horizontal paths 42a, each of-which is connected by means of a verticalpath b. The paths 43a and 43b thus guide both the horizontal movement and determines the vertical movement of the frame ll and holder I8.

When the pin 42 is moved from the left to the rightalong one of the horizontal paths a, for instance that shown in Fig. 1, the weight of the frame It and the sensitized material carrier holder II will carry it down the vertical path b at the extreme right end ofthe horizontal path ha, and the lateral movement may then continue along the next horizontal path "a from the right to the left and so forth. The guide plate 43 is interchangeable in the work plate I, so that the number of rows of pictures, the number of pictures in each row, the space between each row and the space between each picture in a row may be easily and quickly altered by extensively varying the number and arrangement of the horizontal and vertical paths.

Opposite the lens aperture 2 in the work plate I there is arranged a lens 44 on the upper side of the guide bar I2, through which lens it is possible to observe a ground glass plate 45 or 45a arranged one on each side-of the frame It in alignment with the lens aperture 2 and in the plane of the sensitized material. The horizontal movement of the frame I is so that when one of the ground glass plates has reached the one end of its horizontal travel, it is disposed opposite the lens aperture 2. In this manner adjustments on the ground glass plate maybe made every time the sensitized material has reached one of its extreme horizontal positions. This is not onlyof great importance for the control of the reception of so great a number of pictures as discussed here, but it is an absolute necessity when the sizes of the between the work plate and the guide device and guided by the latter, rotatable means journaled in a fixture attached to the guide device to cooperate,

with rigid means traversing the frame for displacing the latter laterally in relation to the lens aperture in the work plate, a sensitized material carrier, a holder for the said carrier disposed for vertical displacement within the frame, recessed guiding means arranged on the rear side of the work plate to cooperate with a guide member attached to an extension on the holder for displacing the latter during its downward passage in relation to the lens aperture in the work plate when the frame is in one of its extreme lateral positions, a ground glass plate attached to the side of the frame and so disposed as to be carried into alignment with the lens aperture in the work plate when the frame reaches one of its extreme lateral positions, a longitudinal recess in the work plate traversing the lens aperture in the work plate, and

a mask slide disposed within the recess for displacement longitudinally therein.

2. In a camera for multiple photography as claimed in claim 1, the arrangement in the mask slide of an aperture, vertically disposed guides attached to the slide on either side of the aperture,

and an interchangeable mask for insertion by 7 hand between theguides.

3. The combination in a camera for multiple photography, of a work plate, a lens disposed within the camera in alignment with an aperture in the work plateya cross bar of -U-formed section traversing the work plate and attached by its ends thereto, a guide bar slidable longitudinally within the U-formed cavity of the cross bar, a frame attached to the guide bar and disposed for horiaontal movement between the work plate and the cross bar, a ratchet attached to and traversing the frame below the cross bar, a notched bar attached to the upper edge of the ratchet, a lug attached yieldingly to the lower edge of the cross bar and engaging one of the notches in the notched bar, a downwardly extending plate attached to the cross bar, a shaft journalled in the lower end of theplate, a toothed wheel journalled on the said shaft and meshing with the ratchet, a hand wheel for rotating the toothed wheel for the lateral displacement of the frame, a sensitized material carrier, a holder for the said carrier disposed for vertical displacement within the-frame, horizontal paths formed alongside each other in the upper portion of the work plate, vertical paths connecting alternately the ends of every two paths to form a total xig-zag path, a pin projecting from the upper end of 'the holder and engaging the said paths, a

groundglass plate attached to the side of the frame and so disposed as to be carried into alignment with the aperture in the work plate when the frame reaches one of its extreme lateral positions, a longitudinal recess in the work plate traversing the aperture therein, and a mask slide disposed withinthe recess for displacement longitudinally therein. 4

I JENS PETER HANSEN. 

